He should have called them a lot worse. They are welfare liabilities to the entire counrty. Perhaps his time would be better spent trying to legislate prosecution of those “girls” for bringing a child into the world completely unable to care for it. Why is that not abuse? Our country spends more money preventing stray dogs from multiplying. Why are we paying them to breed?
ps…no, I am not a conservative, I am a liberal, I just get sick when I think of my tax resources going to support these parasitic sleezes.

Sue

Excuse Me?? Is Liston including teenage girls who have been victims of incest or rape in his hateful accusation?

And who’s to blame for the increased pregnancy rate? Backward, close-minded a**holes like him who come up with the most ridiculous, out-of-touch ‘abstinence-only’ education classes.

Why can’t we come to the same conclusion that the rest of the Western world figured out long ago: teenagers are going to have sex. It’s up to us to give them the best preparation and education to protect THEMSELVES against diseases and unwanted pregnancy.

If we start treating them like adults they’ll act like adults!

Mark J

Like who cares?
It’s called Freedom of Speech
You don’t like the message don’t listen.
High school girls who think sex is a recreational sport should be called sluts. If they can’t be nice to themsleves and take care of themselves. tough sh*t.
Don’t like the label, then don’t engage in the behavior that earns you the label.

doggy

Yes, eduacation and openess is the way to combat teenage pregnancy, not ignorance. Can’t belive we still debate that in this year. But also, in defense of this lawmaker, it is not socially un-acceptable enough for these young people who get pregnant. They SHOULD be ashamed, and they are not.

JJJ

Small potatoes. Let’s focus on making sure these young girls use birth control and quit making judgements (valid or not), thereby distracting from the real issues. Morals, standards, whatever… birth control. Birth control. Birth control.

The Graphite

Once again, we have a Republican who does the right thing, and then apologizes for it. God bless Rep. Liston for speaking the truth, even if he had the cowardice to retreat from it afterward in the face of intolerant liberal bullies.

If you don’t call a spade a spade, people get hurt, even by the thousands or tens of thousands. The “judge not” mentality is utterly devoid of reason or rationality — you cannot function in life without judging. The only question is whether you judge rightly. And if you pretend something wrong is right, like I said, people get hurt, sometimes even killed.

When Liston said “In my parents’ day and age, they were sent away, they were shunned, they were called what they are. There was at least a sense of shame. There’s no sense of shame today. Society condones it … I think it’s wrong. They’re sluts. And I don’t mean just the women. I mean the men, too.” … that was one of the wisest and most beautifully right things I’ve heard a politician say in a very long time.

Also, the man obviously isn’t referring to the victims of rape, for crying out loud. What a preposterous straw man. He’s clearly referring to sexually irresponsible youth.

Missy

Most teens that are having sex are very well aware of birth control options. Many choose not to use it. This day and age, birth control is readily available and free at Planned Parent Hood and other facilities. There is virtually no reason for unwanted pregnancies anymore unless you are the small percentage where birth control failed. And if you can’t accept the consequence you shouldn’t be having sex! If you want to be treated like an adult then take care of your business and support yourself and the children you create.

The Graphite

There is such a thing as loving someone right into a grave.

What kids need today is for someone to love them enough to tell them the truth. That’s exactly what Liston did, until his cowardice took over.

Jennifer

Unwanted pregnancy occurs ALOT with adults also. Stop blaming these kids
whose parents are too embarrased to talk to then about sex and then we can’t talk about it in school because yes, those damn Republicans who preach abstincence and that’s it. Yeah that works! Not.

And Bre and Graphite….Were you both virgins until you were at least 20 years old or so? And your spouses also? Didn’t think so. You just got lucky enough that your birth control worked or smart enough to know the consequences…

I’m sure Liston will be in some airport bathroom or caught in some type of crazy sex scandal…they all preach one thing and then live their life a different way. Typical Republican.

JayCee

Regardless whether he was right or wrong, thoughts you have behind closed doors are not the voices you carry in public forums. Especially as an elected official. Speak the facts about teen pregnancies if you wish, but leave the name calling to the playground. Then again, another neo-Nazi, CO Springs law-maker has every right to open mouth & insert foot.

Commentator

Rep. Liston’s remarks about sluts would have been deemed appropriate 50 years ago when American Society had standards. Now that we have no standards, what do we have?

Mary

A slut (by definition) is a person, especially a woman, considered sexually promiscuous where promiscuous is defined as having casual sexual relations frequently with different partners; indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners.

Some of the children who end up with babies of their own (who like to think of themselves as adults) are promiscuous – but some are not. What about the girl who gets sexually involved with her first “love” – and becomes pregnant only having ONE partner? Or the boy who is sexually involved with his first “love” and fathers a child only having ONE partner? Are they sluts, or simply naive – having only had sex education which is based on abstinence only? Should they know better? Probably – but what if they truly do not know the consequences – or subscribe to the theory that “it was just once – what could happen”? Sexual escapades on TV or in the movies rarely show consequences (including pregnancy, HIV, other STDs, even the emotional issues which arise at the end of a relationship which are compounded when there is a sexual component) – and they rarely make it clear that even when ADULTS have sexual relationships they usually are using some form of contraception. We will ignore the fact that a number of teen-age girls are raped, or taken advantage of by men in positions of trust (teachers, ministers, etc) – and some of them choose to carry those pregnancies to term – are they sluts?

Parents, often unwilling or unable to discuss sexual issues with their children, choose to turn a blind eye to what the children watch & what the children do – then become “surprised” and angered when they become grandparents. Some of these same parents have been thru multiple relationships, setting the example that the children follow.

Society chooses to ignore the fact that despite marriage age being higher, in the US, sexual contact starts earlier than ever before (remember – Juliet was about 14 & Romeo was about 18 – average ages for marriage in the era of that play – today’s kids are having sex as early as 11 or 12 – which is appalling) – and the “holier than thou’s” seem to think that telling kids to “just say no” to sex in a society which uses sex to advertise everything from toothpaste to cars is going to prevent pregnancy (Because “just say no” worked so well with drugs perhaps? Wait – it failed miserably there too.). Interestingly enough, in Europe, which has more complete sex education (covering pregnancy, STDs, contraception, etc) – the average age of first sexual contact is closer to 18 – and rarely ends with an unplanned pregnancy.

Is the Colorado Springs lawmaker willing to demand integrity in advertising, a return to “adult content” on television being after 9PM, parental or guardian responsibiity for children’s behavior, and “full coverage” sex education? If not – perhaps there is a word for him. The word is FOOL.

Jim

There’s another label that could have been applied: “Pro-life”.

These kids do have choices.

Anna

“Sluts” is a word which refers almost exclusively to females. FEMALES. It is akin to the word “whores” which, again, refers exclusively to FEMALES. Mr. Liston advocated sending “unmarried teen parents” (a.k.a. GIRLS) away and shunning them. And the boys? Ah, well, their promiscuity isn’t out there in the form of a belly for all the world to see, so we can just slap them on the wrist, toss them a religious text and tell them that God wants them to keep it in their pants until their wedding night. Mr. Liston doesn’t dare attempt to create any derogatory, hurtful, negative name for the boys who impregnate the girls. It’s only acceptable to shun the girls, to embarass the girls, to demonize the girls. Such mysogynism is inappropriate in any setting, and especially when it falls from the lips of an elected official such as Mr. Liston.

True, in his parents’ day, it was better to ignore a problem and kick it out of the family home than it was to face reality: Teens have sex. Teens get pregnant. Earth to Mr. Liston: Your son, daughter, niece, nephew or neighbor kid HAS SEX. Instead of behaving like some sort of closed-minded card in the pocket of the Religious Right, perhaps Mr. Liston would better serve his constituents by proposing methods by which teens may avoid pregnancy or, in the very least, by developing better ways of describing his displeasure with the state of our society. Teen pregnancies are more easily avoided via trust and education, not disgusting insults and threats.

Thankfully, Mr. Liston has recognized the (political) error in his diction and has apologized for his poor word choice. Hopefully, his beliefs will cost him a few votes because, really, votes are what truly matter to Mr. Liston, not the girls and women he’s chosen to villify.

Allen N

MY my. what short memories folks have. For all of those of you who were not celibate until marriage AND are condemning unwed teen mothers, some questions.

Did you ever have unprotected sex before marriage? Guys – how eager were you to get some “action” when you were a teen? Did you ever sweat out the end of the month? Are you a good, moral person or a slut or whore-monger? Were you really all that responsible or just plain lucky?

What the Rep. thinks is that any girl who is pregnant outside of marriage must be a whore. As others have already pointed out, there are plenty of flaws in this reasoning. Teens are not fully responsible adults. Teens have been sexually active long before there was all the supposed “moral decay”. What the good Rep. would like to see is a return to the Scarlet Letter. Shame and fear are not solutions for unwanted, unprepared pregnancy. Education and dealing with reality are.

K.J.

So sad that we forget Mother Mary started out this way…unwed teen pregnancy. I doubt he was referring to her, just the people he chooses to judge and hate.

Thomas

Anna, his comments were directed at the guys too. Or did you not read the entire quote?

Allen, sure many of use got lucky. But is it wrong to hope your children can learn from your mistakes? I hop neither of mine kids are promiscuous, or sexually active as early as I was. It’s a much different world today.

Mary, your quite right about the ages, but a lot has changed since then. particularly the speed in which children “grow up.” A 14 year old in Shakespeare’s day was far more mature and had much more experience in the ways of the world than most 18 yr olds today.

anthill

too many young girls dont have mothers, they have mothers who want to be “best friends” and not a parent.

anthill

i disagree .. men are called the same thing.. and one thing i know is young girls are far more ready and willing to give it up than they were 20 years ago. teenage boys are the same as they were 20 years ago if its there and available they take it.
Just look online , myspace or any other place. Parents most of the time are to busy to care what their kids are doing until there is a problem.

Steve

I agree with Rep. Liston – so much so, that I wrote him expressing my support – and wrote Rep. Stafford expressing my support of Rep. Liston. Perhaps if we stopped the political correctness, and spoke in honest terms, society could start addressing the issues. By the way, if refer to the ‘homeless’ – a nice sugar coated description – as what they really are ‘bums’, ‘winos’, and druggies’. I’m a Democrat, however I congratulate Rep. Liston – and hope he, and members of his party, and Democrats such as myself continue to use accurate terms such as ‘slut’ in all our language and keep speaking the truth!

EAC

Just look at the title of this article!!! Do boys get PREGNANT?! Clearly – the bias is towards females re: the word “slut.”

Emily

again we see another issue of males not treating females fairly. If a girl has sex at a young age, she is considered by people to be a “slut” however a boy is ridiculed by his peers if he has not lost his virginity by age 21. He has to have sex with someone! I still find it utterly ridiculous that when a guy has sex he is awarded with praise, but when a girl has sex she is defined as being slutty. This is completely unfair. If a girl gets pregnant the male has equal responsibility for it happening. And frankly many teenage pregnancies result in adoption because the girl realizes she is unable to care for the child. My sister is a product of a such an adoption and without her “slutty” teen mother I would be without one of my favorite people. Stop bashing such women. Besides, in many other countries in the world women are married and having children “by age 16. Give these girls some credit. They are going through a tough enough time as it is, being ridiculed by their peers, being told by their schools they have to go to “special” schools so not to inspire others to become pregnant, not to mention the disapointment many parents dish out. They don’t need more shit from strangers who don’t know the circumstances.

GL

Maybe the unwed mothers are sluts for partaking in an act that ALL humans enjoy the difference between them and the even bigger sluts, the men who impregnated them and then went on in their lives like they had no responsibility, is that those “sluts” are the ones who have to care for the child. I say yeah okay they are sluts but what are the men who helped create those obstacles for them. Those women are economic and social strains on the rest of the world but how about the other sluts who got them there and don’t have to worry about being called a strain on society? They can just run out and make more kids they don’t have to take responsibility for, let’s just be fair. The only problem I have with girls being called sluts is how the guys are always omitted, they are just as much, if not more, sluts too!

Anna

Right, I get it. So, Liston adds, “I mean the men, too” and suddenly the word “sluts” somehow morphs into a unisex term for all of those who engage in premarital sex. Anybody who believes this is either extremely naive or simply agrees with Liston’s approach to the issue. Come on, folks. “Slut” is a derogatory term directed toward women who engage in pre-marital sex. Even if applied to a man, it’s practically taken as a compliment, just as being called a “skirt chaser” or “playboy” is a comment on a man’s attractiveness and virility.

Liston admires the good ol’ days where girls were run out of town on a rail once they turned up pregnant. In those good ol’ days, what happened to the guys? Were they sent to group homes for immoral boys, forced to spend months away from their families while their female counterparts incubated and birthed their offspring? Are you kidding me? Face it. To these people who yearn for the days when unmarried pregnant girls were hidden away like criminals in order to “shame” them while their male cohorts are allowed to continue their normal lives and even move on to other girls, the FEMALES are the only ones who are deemed “sluts.” It’s a fun little double standard, isn’t it?

feed yourhead

Of course teenage parenthood is bad, but his comments, as well as those of most the right wing holier than thou group, shows lack of common sense. If he called them irresponsible, that would probably be fine. Who knows the level of promiscuity they exhibited.

If you want to stop this, teach kids how to have sexual fun without getting pregnant. You may think sex without marriage is wrong, but hundreds of millions of people disagree with you. Even a large percentage of those who promote this unnatural concept don’t actually follow it. Of course there is risk with sexual activity, but the same can be said for driving, flying, skiing, hiking, etc. Just be responsible when you enjoy one of these activities.

Beth

“”A 14 year old in Shakespeare’s day was far more mature and had much more experience in the ways of the world than most 18 yr olds today.””
Is the most ridiculous point. Yeah, ok, in a period of hundreds of years our brain’s development has slowed. I don’t think so. Get real. Teenagers are ALWAYS going to have sex no matter the age category you try and fit them in to. The only way to prevent pregnancy is by education, open-minded parents who talk to their children, and tough love while growing up. And yes, it is possible to have both of the latter. Also, I suggest that anyone who is pro-life be required to adopt the babies of the people they want to keep from having an abortion. Im sure that would turn the tide very quickly.

Chris T

I just love it when yet another supposedly “Christian” man (according to his own site’s bio he’s a member of First Presbyterian) spews judgmental and hate filled rhetoric. Colorado Springs isn’t filled with Christians, it’s filled with Pharisees.

If he had really wanted to talk about the subject in a productive, respectful way, he would have. He just didn’t want to.

For those of you who invoke the “politically correct” epithet, that’s only valid when someone’s NOT intending to offend and yet people take offense. That was clearly not the case here. “Slut” has very clearly negative connotations.

Jim

For me, just another example of people either in government or other public, entrusted positions who have little integrity, which is what we need from these people. Granted, they are human like all of us, but these outbursts really highlight their true selves. What about the men who get these young women pregnant… He’s obviously blaming only the females, one more lack of understanding on his part.

BRYNN

jennifer poster feb. 7th
And Bre and Graphite….Were you both virgins until you were at least 20 years old or so? And your spouses also? Didn’t think so. You just got lucky enough that your birth control worked or smart enough to know the consequences…
It is none of your damn business whether or not I have had premarital sex. The only thing you should be concerned with is that I have not ask you (I assume a taxpayer) to pay one penny for any babies that I HAVE CREATED. I was not lucky, I WAS RESPONSIBLE!!! And because I was NOT A SLUT, none of my babies are roaming around in the world unwanted or abused. This is not about sex, it about A CHOICE to have a baby born to an unwed teen mom. THE TEEN MOMS ARE NOT VICTIMS, THE BABIES AND THE TAXPAYERS ARE!!!!

Sarah

I am disgusted by many of the comments on this forum (and it goes without saying regarding the CO Springs politician). There is an awful double standard for teen mothers: they’re the ‘sluts’ and the ‘welfare moms’, but the fathers? Nowhere to be seen … not called ‘sluts’, and the young moms are chastised for being on public assistance b/c they don’t have the economic support from their family and the child’s father.
And have any of you thought that maybe, just maybe, young women get pregnant while *using* birth control? I have a nephew who is the product of his (married) parents having used TWO forms of birth control. It happens, even to the most responsible of us. In the day when “abstinence-only-until-marriage” has become the legislated norm for sex education, it doesn’t take a rocket science to figure out why teen pregnancy rates have gone up recently, after seeing a decline over the last 10 years.